Notes tagged “Payoff”

• Four observations in response to Nathan Baugh on story twists

  Jun 3, 2025  |  6 min

  scribble

  Scribble
  An idea I'm just playing around with. I probably haven’t invested much time in it, and I'm not yet confident in my conclusions.
  (See digital gardening.)

   |  Payoff Story structure Story Craft

• Red herring plotlines and satisfying plot twists

  Aug 27, 2023  |  4 min

  note

  Note
  More mature than a scribble, but not yet what digital gardener Maggie Appleton calls an “evergreen” idea. A note may have taken a fair amount of time to develop. I think the idea has merit.
  (See digital gardening.)

   |  Payoff Story structure Story Craft

• The realm of appropriate payoffs

  Aug 26, 2023  |  5 min

  note

  Note
  More mature than a scribble, but not yet what digital gardener Maggie Appleton calls an “evergreen” idea. A note may have taken a fair amount of time to develop. I think the idea has merit.
  (See digital gardening.)

   |  Payoff Story Craft

• Optimal difference maximizes story payoffs

  Aug 24, 2023  |  3 min

  scribble

  Scribble
  An idea I'm just playing around with. I probably haven’t invested much time in it, and I'm not yet confident in my conclusions.
  (See digital gardening.)

   |  Payoff Story Craft

• Deus ex machina and the soul of a satisfying story ending

  Aug 12, 2023  |  10 min

  note

  Note
  More mature than a scribble, but not yet what digital gardener Maggie Appleton calls an “evergreen” idea. A note may have taken a fair amount of time to develop. I think the idea has merit.
  (See digital gardening.)

   |  Story Craft Theme Deus ex machina Payoff

• Storytelling, neuroscience, and the rule of three: prediction and reward

  Jul 23, 2023  |  9 min

  note

  Note
  More mature than a scribble, but not yet what digital gardener Maggie Appleton calls an “evergreen” idea. A note may have taken a fair amount of time to develop. I think the idea has merit.
  (See digital gardening.)

   |  Story structure Primitives Story Craft Neuroscience Rule of three Payoff